British Conservatives have chosen Kemi Badenoch as their new leader, the first black woman to lead a major British party.

LONDON – Outspoken, right-wing lawmaker Kemi Badenoch was named leader of Britain’s opposition Conservative Party on Saturday as the party tries to recover from a crushing election defeat that ended its 14 years in power.

The first black woman to lead a major British political party, Badenoch (pronounced BADE-enock) has promised to bring “renewal” to the centre-right Tories, pushing for a smaller government and rejecting identity politics.

Badenoch defeated rival candidate Robert Jenrick in party members’ online and postal vote, receiving 57% of the nearly 100,000 votes cast against Jenrick’s 43%.

Badenoch, 44, will succeed former prime minister Rishi Sunak, who led the Conservatives to their worst election result since 1832 in July.

The new leader’s challenge will be to restore the party’s reputation after years of division, scandal and economic turmoil, to succeed Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s policies on key issues including the economy and immigration, and to return the Conservatives to power at the next election , which should take place in 2029.

“The task before us is difficult but simple,” Badenoch said in a victory speech to a packed room of Conservative lawmakers, staff and journalists in London. She said the party’s job was to hold the Labor government to account and to develop promises and a plan for government.

Referring to the party’s electoral defeat, she said: “We have to be honest – honest that we made mistakes, honest that we allowed standards to slip.”

“It’s time to tell the truth, stand up for our principles, plan for our future, reset our politics and our thinking and give our party and our country the fresh start they deserve,” Badenoch said.